BRAZIL BEAUTY - Traveling-

BRAZIL BEAUTY - Traveling-Brazil (officially Federative Republic of Brazil) is the world’s fifth largest country and is located in South America. Although almost all of its neighboring countries speak Spanish, the language in Brazil is Portuguese. Brazil is different than many of the countries in South America because it was colonized as a part of Portugal (1500-1822) – also a Portuguese-speaking country. The country is formed by 26 states plus a federal district where the capital, Brasilia, is located. The Brazil Gateway is situated in the state of São Paulo in the city also named São Paulo, which is the capital of the state and Brazil’s economic center. Campinas, a city in the state of São Paulo (less than two hours away from the capital) is also internationally known for its science and technology centers. The country is the world’s eighth-largest economy. It is a founding member of the United Nations, G20, BRICS, Mercosul and others. Brazil has vast biodiversity and beautiful natural sites worth visiting such as the Amazon forest, Pantanal, Iguazu Falls and all the incredible beaches on the coastline.

Temperatures are usually very warm in the north and northeast states, such as Amazonas and Pernambuco. In the southeast region, it rains frequently (it is where São Paulo is located), whereas it is usually dry in the central-west region (by the capital, Brasilia). In the south, where there are states such as Rio Grande do Sul, it can get cold in the winter and even snow a little. More than 48% of the population describe themselves as “white”; almost 44% as “pardo” (brown); almost 7% as “black”; 0.58% as Asian; and 0.28% as Indigenous. When describing themselves, Brazilians take more into account phenotypes rather than ancestry (National Research by Household Sample – PNAD - of 2008). According to the 2000 Demographic Census, Roman Catholicism is the country’s predominant faith. In literature, Machado de Assis, Jorge Amado and Paulo Coelho are among the most read internationally. In terms of music, Samba (which is the predominant music in Carnival festivals) and Bossa Nova (which is a lyrical fusion of Samba and Jazz) are famous Brazilian styles. From 1990, four Brazilian movies have been nominated for the Oscar’s. Soccer (“futebol”) is the most popular sport and the country has won five World Cups. Volleyball, basketball, auto racing (Formula 1) and martial arts (such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Capoeira) also draw large crowds

There are four time zones in Brazil due to its continental size. UTC-2 (east islands), UTC-3 (Brasilia, the capital of the country, thus considered the official time), UTC-4 (Amazon region) and UTC-5 (northwest states). Considering the official time zone, UTC-3, there is a one-hour difference ahead of the time in Ohio, except for daylight saving time when there is a 2-3-hour difference depending on the month. Military time is often used so do not be surprised when you are scheduled for a meeting at 15:30 (3:30 p.m.). Other differences include measurement in length, weight, space, voltage and temperature. For example, Brazil uses meters/kilometers as a measure of length; kilograms, for weight; and Celsius, for temperature. You may download conversion apps on your tablets. Bring an adapter if your device only supports U.S. sockets. Brazilian voltage can be 110V or 220V depending on the city.